False-positive whole-body iodine-131 scan due to intrahepatic duct dilatation

Focal retention of radioactivity in the liver on whole-body 131I scan was interpreted as a metastatic lesion in a patient with well-differentiated thyroid cancer. Intrahepatic duct dilatation, usually resulting from biliary tract obstruction by bile stone, is a common disorder and may cause bile stasis. A patient with papillary thyroid cancer and a previous history of biliary tract stones had focal retention of radioactivity in the liver on whole-body 131I scan. Abdominal CT, endoscopic retrograde cholagiopancreatography, radionuclide cholangiography and sequential 131I scans demonstrated that this focal retention of radioactivity was caused by intrahepatic duct dilatation. Focal retention of radioactivity is visualized on delayed images but not on early images. The radioactivity initially increases and then decreases on following days.

Index for predicting post-operative residual liver function by pre-operative dynamic liver SPET

To predict residual liver function before hepatic resection, we devised a predictive index by combining clearance values with functional liver volume measured by liver dynamic single photon emission tomography (SPET). Forty-seven patients with liver disease underwent liver dynamic SPET with 99Tcm-Sn colloid before hepatic resection. There were no operation-related deaths. Three patients died from hepatic failure more than 1 month following the operation. Their predictive indices were 0.24, 0.33 and 0.34. When the predictive index was above 0.35, no patient had symptoms of hepatic failure or died. Our data suggest that when the predictive index is above 0.35, there is a low probability of hepatic failure after hepatectomy.

Hilar cholangiocarcinoma: thin-section spiral CT findings with cholangiographic correlation

Hilar cholangiocarcinoma, a highly lethal tumor, is difficult to diagnose with conventional computed tomography (CT) because of its small size. Spiral CT allows more effective evaluation of these small lesions and better demonstrates the status of the hepatic arterial or portal venous circulation. Among 27 patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma (infiltrative in 21, exophytic in two, polypoid in one, diffuse in three), thin-section spiral CT allowed identification of each tumor as an area of focal wall thickening that obliterated the lumen. Seventeen of the infiltrative tumors (81%) showed high attenuation. Identification of the level of biliary obstruction was possible in 63% of the patients (17 of 27). The level of obstruction was underestimated in six patients and overestimated in four. Spiral CT is a valuable method for diagnosis of hilar cholangiocarcinoma; however, spiral CT is less accurate in evaluation of intraductal tumor extent because of the limited z-axis resolution.

A new diagnostic approach to biliary atresia with emphasis on the ultrasonographic triangular cord sign: comparison of ultrasonography, hepatobiliary scintigraphy, and liver needle biopsy in the evaluation of infantile cholestasis

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE

The authors evaluated prospectively the utility of ultrasonography, Tc-99m-DISIDA hepatobiliary scintigraphy, and liver needle biopsy in differentiating biliary atresia (BA) from intrahepatic cholestasis in 73 consecutive infants who had cholestasis.

METHODS

Sixty three ultrasonographic examinations of 61 infants with 7.0-MHz transducer were carried out, focusing on the fibrous tissue at the porta hepatis. The authors defined the triangular cord (TC) as visualization of a triangular or tubular shaped echogenic density just cranial to the portal vein bifurcation on a transverse or longitudinal scan.

RESULTS

Although 17 of 20 ultrasonographic examinations from infants who had BA denoted TC, 43 ultrasonographic examinations from infants with either neonatal hepatitis (NH) or other causes of cholestasis denoted no TC, showing a diagnostic accuracy of 95% with 85% sensitivity and 100% specificity. Investigation with Tc-99m-DISIDA hepatobiliary scintigraphy showed that 24 of 25 infants who had BA had no gut excretion, and 16 of 46 infants who had either NH or other causes of cholestasis had gut excretion, showing a diagnostic accuracy of 56% with 96% sensitivity and 35% specificity. Therefore, gut excretion of tracer excluded BA, but no gut excretion of tracer needed further investigations as liver needle biopsy. Forty-four liver needle biopsies were carried out in 19 infants who had BA and 24 infants who had either NH or other causes of cholestasis. Although 18 of 20 biopsy findings in infants who had BA were correctly interpreted as having BA, 23 of 24 biopsy results in infants who had either NH or other causes of cholestasis were correctly diagnosed, showing a diagnostic accuracy of 93% with 90% sensitivity and 96% specificity.

CONCLUSIONS

Since the introduction of ultrasonographic TC sign in the diagnosis of BA by our institution, we have found that it seemed to be a simple, time-saving, highly reliable, and non-invasive tool in the diagnosis of BA from other causes of cholestasis. The authors propose a new diagnostic strategy in the evaluation of infantile cholestasis with emphasis on ultrasonographic TC sign as first priority of investigations. When the TC is visualized, prompt exploratory laparotomy is mandatory without further investigations. When the TC is not visualized, hepatobiliary scintigraphy is the next step. Excretion of tracer into the small bowel actually rules out BA. Liver needle biopsy is reserved only for the infants with no excretion of tracer. The authors believe that a correct decision regarding the need for surgery can be made in almost all cases with infantile cholestasis by this multidisciplinary approach.

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma as a cause of intrahepatic periportal low attenuation on CT

Two cases of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), one AIDS related, with hepatic involvement manifesting as infiltrating mass-like periportal intrahepatic low attenuation on CT are described. One case demonstrated mass effect with compression of adjacent bile ducts causing jaundice. NHL should be included in the differential diagnosis of mass-like periportal intrahepatic low attenuation lesions.

Diffuse intrahepatic biliary strictures in sarcoidosis resembling sclerosing cholangitis. Case report and review of the literature

We report a case of sarcoidosis with severe cholestasis and cholangiographic features of sclerosing cholangitis that responded dramatically to corticosteroid therapy. Although an association between sarcoidosis and primary sclerosing cholangitis has been suggested by previous reports, features suggestive of primary sclerosing cholangitis, including inflammatory bowel disease, hepatic histology and serum neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies, were absent in this case. Cholangiography may be useful in the evaluation of patients with cholestatic sarcoid liver disease, and intrahepatic biliary strictures should be included in the spectrum of hepatic involvement by sarcoidosis. A trial of corticosteroid therapy may be of benefit in patients with bile ductal involvement by sarcoidosis.

Biliary Wallstent endoprosthesis in malignant hilar obstruction: long-term results with regard to the type of obstruction

AIM

To evaluate the clinical efficacy of percutaneously placed biliary Wallstents in the management of malignant hilar obstruction with regard to the obstruction type.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Sixty-six Wallstents were inserted in 41 patients with inoperable hilar obstruction: 13 patients had a type I obstruction according to Bismuth-classification, 18 a type II, eight a type III, and two a type IV obstruction, respectively. Clinical follow-up data were obtained from all the patients and the referring physicians.

RESULTS

Stent placement was technically successfully in all patients. The procedure-related death rate was 2% (one patient), but the overall 30-day mortality rate was 39%, mostly due to advanced malignant disease, cardiac failure or pneumonia. Stent occlusion was found in 11 patients (27%) after 87 days (mean; range, 8-190 days). After stent placement, the mean stent patency was 96 days and the mean survival was 131 days with no significant difference between patients with obstruction type I, II and III. Multivariate analysis revealed that patients with obstruction due to gallbladder carcinoma had a significantly shorter survival than patients with cholangio-carcinoma or hilar obstruction due to metastases.

CONCLUSION

Overall, the insertion of Wallstent endoprostheses offers moderate results for palliation of hilar biliary obstruction regardless of the type of obstruction. In patients with cholangiocarcinoma, long-term results are good even for complicated strictures (type III). In patients with hilar obstruction due to gallbladder carcinoma the outcome is generally poor, regardless of the type of obstruction.

Mirizzi syndrome type II: is laparoscopic cholecystectomy justified?

Mirizzi syndrome type II is an uncommon cause of obstructive jaundice caused by an inflammatory response to an impacted gallstone in Hartmann's pouch or the cystic duct with a resultant cholecystocholedochal fistula. Two cases of Mirizzi syndrome type II are presented. Clinically only one patient had jaundice and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatogram (ERCP) established a preoperative diagnosis of Mirizzi syndrome. The other patient's diagnosis of Mirizzi syndrome was made intraoperatively. It is important to properly identify the anatomy at the time of surgery to avoid compromising the common bile duct. Operative treatment of Mirizzi syndrome type II includes laparoscopic or open subtotal cholecystectomy; placement of a T-tube with either laparoscopic or open cholecystectomy; or creation of a hepaticojejunostomy with cholecystectomy. Although there is a report of laparoscopic treatment of this syndrome without long term follow-up, we believe that once there is any question of injury to the common bile duct, safety demands that the laparoscopic procedure be converted to an open one with implementation of appropriate therapy.

Syndrome of Alagille: radiological and sonographic findings. A review of 37 cases

The objective of this study was to evaluate the association of intrahepatic cholestasis, pulmonary stenosis, and hyperlipemia with osseous and renal abnormalities in Alagille's syndrome. A total of 37 patients (25 males and 12 females) with ages ranging between 8 months and 27 years were included. Clinical records as well as radiological and ultrasonographic studies were reviewed. Chronic cholestasis was observed in all patients. Thirteen had favorable clinical outcome and normal hepatic sonograms. Clinical and sonographic evidence of portal hypertension was found in 13 patients and of cirrhosis in 8 patients. The remaining 3 patients required hepatic transplantation due to severe cholestasis. Hyperlipemia correlated with hepatic malfunction. Pulmonary stenosis and renal hypoplasia were the most frequently associated abnormalities. All patients showed a peculiar facies. Abnormal "butterfly" vertebrae were present in 18 patients and ulnar or phalangeal shortening in 11 patients. Ultrasonography allowed hepatobiliary disease assessment and helped to establish indications for hepatic transplantation. Renal and osseous abnormalities were not specific but in the appropriate clinical setting reinforced the diagnosis.

Hepatobiliary scintigraphy in the evaluation of feline liver disease

Hepatobiliary scintigraphy (HBS) was performed in 10 cats with histologically documented hepatobiliary disease. The scintigraphic patterns were classified into one of 5 categories: normal, primary hepatocellular dysfunction, primary intrahepatic cholestasis, mixed hepatocellular and intrahepatic cholestasis, and extrahepatic obstructive patterns. Initial attempts were made to correlate specific disease entities with HBS patterns, but a consistent relationship could not be determined. A correlation between the histological severity of a given hepatic disease and the HBS pattern was made. All cats (n = 5) with a mixed hepatocellular and intrahepatic cholestasis scintigraphic pattern with normal gallbladder function had a histologically severe form of their individual hepatic disease. Three of the 4 cats with an intrahepatic cholestasis pattern and normal hepatocellular and gallbladder function had histologically mild or moderate forms of their individual hepatic diseases. One cat had an extrahepatic obstructive pattern where no radiopharmaceutical was identified in the gallbladder or small intestine by 3 hours postinjection. This study suggests that HBS can be useful in cats with hepatobiliary disease to assess the severity of hepatic dysfunction, and to determine if extrahepatic biliary obstruction is present. Correlation between HBS patterns and specific disease entities such as hepatic lipidosis or cholangitis-cholangiohepatitis syndrome could not be made in this study.

[Asymptomatic chronic intrahepatic cholestasis and multiple hypodense nodules in the liver and the spleen: manifestations of a case of sarcoidosis]

Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disease of unknown etiology which may present multiple clinical manifestations. Liver involvement is observed among 21-79% of the cases. Nonetheless, hepatic sarcoidosis is usually asymptomatic and the finding of cholestasis is an infrequent complication. In the last few years, the presence of multiple hypodense nodules in the liver and spleen has been described in 5-15% of these patients following the application of dynamic intravenous techniques in abdominal CT scan. Although the histopathologic study of these nodules suggests that their formation is due to the coalescence of the microscopic granulomas, the cause of this aggregation remains unknown. A case of hepatic sarcoidosis presenting chronic cholestasis and whose abdominal tomographic study with intravenous contrast demonstrated the existence of hypodense lesions in the liver and spleen suggesting malignant disseminated disease is reported.

Biliary strictures in hepatic transplantation: treatment with self-expanding Z stents

PURPOSE

To determine the long-term results of Gianturco-Rösch Z (GRZ) stent placement for the treatment of recurrent, benign biliary strictures in liver transplant recipients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

During a 5-year period, eight orthotopic liver transplant recipients underwent transhepatic placement of GRZ stents to treat 12 recurrent biliary strictures (six anastomotic, six intrahepatic). Prior treatment of 11 strictures with balloon dilation therapy had failed. Patients were followed up for 1-65 months.

RESULTS

Stent placement was successful in all patients. Stent position remained stable in all but one patient. Three patients died (1, 25, and 28 months after stent placement), all with patent stents. Four patients required no further biliary intervention. Two of the other four patients needed intermittent biliary balloon dilation with removal of bile duct debris. The third patient had a stable, nonobstructing stenosis in the stent. The fourth passed his stents and needed no further intervention.

CONCLUSION

GRZ stents are useful in patients who are refractory to repetitive balloon dilation of biliary strictures or who are poor surgical candidates.

Covered self-expanding transhepatic biliary stents: clinical pilot study

PURPOSE

We report our preliminary results with a new type of self-expanding covered stent for treatment of malignant biliary obstruction.

METHODS

Wallstents, fully covered with high elasticity polyurethane, with an unconstrained diameter of 10 mm and a total length of 69 mm, were placed transhepatically under fluoroscopic guidance in five patients. The length of the biliary obstruction varied between 30-50 mm. At 1 and 3 months (82-98 days) clinical assessment, serum bilirubin measurement, and ultrasound examination of the biliary tree were performed.

RESULTS

Initial uncomplicated deployment of the stents and internal drainage was possible in all patients. Distal stent migration resulted in early biliary reobstruction in one patient. At 3-month follow-up, partial reobstruction, most probably due to sludge formation, was found in another patient.

CONCLUSION

Our initial results indicate that the covered, self-expanding Wallstent endoprosthesis can be reliably and safely deployed transhepatically for malignant biliary obstruction.

Malignant hepatic hilar tumors: can ultrasonography be used as an alternative to angiography with CT arterial portography for determination of resectability?

Nineteen consecutive patients with malignant hilar obstruction were imaged with angiography, CT portography, and ultrasonography with color and spectral Doppler technique; all had surgical pathologic correlation. At surgery, 12 of 19 patients (63%) were found to have portal vein involvement; 15 of 19 (79%) had parenchymal invasion; and 11 of 19 (58%) had lobar atrophy. Level of biliary obstruction was determined in seven of 19 patients (37%) without drainage catheters. No difference was found between ultrasonography and angiography with CT portography for diagnosis of atrophy, level of bile duct obstruction, hepatic involvement, or venous invasion. Extrahepatic metastases in nine of 19 patients (47%) were poorly predicted by both CT portography and ultrasonography.

Methimazole-induced cholestatic liver injury, mimicking sclerosing cholangitis

Cholestatic jaundice caused by imidazole derivates is a rare complication of antithyroid therapy. Only 20 such cases have been reported in the literature since the introduction of methimazole in 1949 and of carbimazole in 1953. We present a further case of methimazole-induced cholestatic liver injury, mimicking sclerosing cholangitis, where the etiology has been proven by a clear chronological relationship and the lack of other causative factors.

Intrahepatic bile duct dilatation and cholestasis in autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease. Demonstration with hepatobiliary scintigraphy

Fifteen patients with the clinical and radiologic features of autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease were investigated with radionuclide hepatobiliary scintigraphy. In nine patients (60%), cholestasis and intrahepatic bile duct dilatation were demonstrated. A 10th child had scintigraphic evidence of cholestasis, but the bile ducts were not dilated. The other five children has normal h hepatobiliary scans. The authors conclude that intrahepatic bile duct dilatation with cholestasis (Caroli's disease) is part of the clinical spectrum of autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease and that hepatobiliary scintigraphy can be of value in determining the extent of hepatobiliary disease in this group of patients.

Obstructive jaundice in gastric carcinoma: cause, site, and relationship to the primary lesion

OBJECTIVE

Obstructive jaundice is frequently present in patients with advanced gastric carcinoma. The purpose of this study was to assess the cause and preferential site of bile duct obstruction in patients with gastric carcinoma and to evaluate correlativity of biliary obstruction with the nature of the primary gastric lesion.

METHODS

Cholangiographic findings of 54 patients with metastatic gastric carcinoma presenting with obstructive jaundice were reviewed retrospectively. The level of the bile duct obstruction was divided into four segments: segment 1, from an individual intrahepatic duct to the biliary hilum; segment 2, common hepatic duct (CHD) involvement from the biliary hilum to the level of the cystic duct; segment 3, the proximal half of the common bile duct (CBD); segment 4, the distal half of the CBD. To evaluate the characteristics of the primary gastric lesion, operative records and pathologic findings were reviewed.

RESULTS

Obstruction sites were segment 1 in eight patients (15%), segment 2 in 25 (46%), segment 3 in 17 (32%), and segment 4 in four (7%). The causes of obstruction were metastatic lymphadenopathy in the hepatoduodenal ligament (50 of 54) and direct invasion of the primary or recurrent tumor (four of 54). The location of the primary gastric lesions was the antrum, antrum and body, and body in 36 (67%), 17 (31%), and 1 (2%), respectively. Borrmann type 3 lesions were present in 72% of cases, and type 2 lesions in the remaining 24%. Histologic type was undifferentiated adenocarcinoma in 91% of patients, and differentiated adenocarcinoma in the remaining. Serosal invasion was shown in 96% of the patients.

CONCLUSION

Our results show that the cause of bile duct obstruction in advanced gastric carcinoma is predominantly metastatic lymphadenopathy in the hepatoduodenal ligament, and its preferential site is around the level of the cystic duct. Obstructing lesions showed characteristic cholangiographic findings.

[Percutaneous treatment of malignant stenoses of the hilum]

PURPOSE

The endoscopic treatment of malignant hilar obstruction is followed in 70% of the case by infection of undrained biliary sectors. We report the influence of complete biliary drainage on post procedural cholangitis.

METHOD

From January 1990 to January 1993 we treated 120 consecutive patients presenting with a malignant hilar obstruction. There were 61 women and 59 men, mean age 65 +/- 7.5 years. The level of stenosis was type II in 45 patients (37%), type III in 18 patients (13%) and above type III in 57 patients (48%). Complete biliary drainage with multiple biliary access was attempted in all patients. Long term internal drainage was achieved by metallic autoexpansive endoprosthesis.

RESULTS

Complete drainage was achieved in all patients with type II or type III biliary stenosis. Drainage was incomplete in all patients with biliary stenosis above type III. Early complications were observed in 35% of the patients. Persistent cholangitis, the most frequent complication (22%) was only observed in patients with above type III biliary stenosis. Mortality at 30 days was 17%. Recurrent biliary obstruction was observed in 22% of the patients after an average of 187 days. Median survival was 95 days.

CONCLUSION

Complete biliary drainage prevents persistent cholangitis in patients with type II or III biliary stenosis without increasing other complications related to biliary drainage.

[Extrahepatic cholestasis: the echographic and CT findings]

One hundred and fifty patients with jaundice and analytical suspicion of extrahepatic cholestasis were studied prospectively; history laboratory investigation and ultrasound examination were done in all. Computerized tomography was performed in 46 patients. Ultrasonography has a sensitivity of 92.6% while that of computerized tomography was 87.2% for the identification of dilated biliary ducts. Computerized tomography demonstrated the level of obstruction with a sensitivity of 89.1%, being most useful at the suprapancreatic and ampullary levels, while ultrasound examination had a sensitivity of 80%. The accuracy of ultrasonography was higher than the one obtained in computerized tomography in cholangiocarcinoma (sensitivity: 77%) and gallbladder carcinoma (sensitivity: 100%). Computerized tomography recognized choledocholithiasis (sensitivity: 83%) and ampullary carcinoma (sensitivity: 75%) with better accuracy. However for pancreatic carcinoma (sensitivity: 87%) and pancreatitis (sensitivity: 88%) both examinations had the same accuracy.